A number of constituents have contacted me as part of the 38
Degree campaign on NHS waiting times.
As set out in the NHS Constitution, patients have
the right to a maximum 18 week
waiting time from referral to consultant-led
treatment. Patients also have the right to be seen by a cancer specialist
within a maximum of two weeks from GP referral for urgent referrals where
cancer is suspected. In September 2015, the Government pledged to introduce a
new four week waiting time standard for cancer diagnosis by 2020.
The NHS Constitution also provides a series of
pledges on maximum waiting times for services such as diagnostic tests, A &
E, and treatment for diagnosed cancer.
Many of these expected standards are monitored as a
percentage of patients. If the
expected percentage of patients is not seen within
the standard, the Government can impose financial sanctions if this is set out
in a provider’s contract. However, although since April 2016 many local NHS
teams have not met the standards for A&E and elective care, the Government
has not imposed sanctions. Instead it has focussed on improving standards,
particularly in A&E departments.
Since 2015, the Government has introduced a number
of waiting time standards for
talking therapies, treatment for psychosis and
children and young people with an eating disorder. The Government is piloting a
four-week target for access to specialist children’s mental health services in
several areas in England.
The Government and NHS England are also working to
improve patient choice within the NHS, which is a legal right as set out in the
NHS Constitution.
Patients have a right to choose their provider and
consultant-led team when they are
referred for their first outpatient appointment
with a service led by a consultant. These rights were for the first time
extended to mental health services in April 2014. There are some exceptions to
this right, including for people detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.
To further strengthen patient choice, a legal right
to have a personal health budget was introduced for adults receiving NHS
Continuing Healthcare and children and young people receiving Continuing Care
in October 2014. The NHS Mandate 2014-15 also set an objective for the NHS to
further roll out personal health budgets to anyone who could benefit, by April
2015.
In 2015, the Government made clear its intention to
bring greater choice in palliative care. This included personal health budgets,
but also introducing new digital solutions, new care coordinator roles, better
training and more public campaigns to promote personalisation of end of life
care.
In successive Mandates, the Government has
expressed the desire to introduce more choice for maternity services,
palliative care and people with long-term conditions by 2020. The Government
has consulted on giving more groups the right to have a personal health budget
(including those with learning disabilities and wheelchair users) but has not
yet published its response to the feedback.
I will certainly bear comments made by constituents
in mind when it comes to discussing waiting list changes with Ministerial
colleagues in the future.
